Aim: How did Thomas Hobbes and John Locke 9-18-13represent opposing views of human nature?

Do Now: Do you believe that people are naturally good or naturally evil? Why?

I. Key Word:The Enlightenment: a social revolution in Europe (1600s – 1700s) that focused on using reason and logic to organize and govern a society.

II. Enlightenment thoughtEnlightenment thinkers shared these ideas:

1. Questioned traditional authority (political and religious)

2. Rejected absolutism3. Problems could be solved using logic and reason

4. Government gets its power from the “consent of the governed”

5. Equality before the law

Thinker

Thomas Hobbes (represents absolutism)

John Locke (represents the Enlightenment)

 View of Mankind 

 "The condition of man is a

condition of war of everyone against everyone."

 Mankind is essentially

selfish and evil. 

 "All men are by nature good

and equal."  

Mankind is essentially rational and good.

Famous Writing

 “Leviathan”

 “Two Treatises on

Government”

Thinker

Thomas Hobbes (represents absolutism)

John Locke (represents the Enlightenment)

Political Theory

Hobbes lived during the time when Charles I was beheaded, and came to the conclusion that people were naturally evil, selfish, and brutal. After watching the violence of the revolution happen, he wrote his most famous book Leviathan. Leviathan is an old fashioned word for a sea monster.  According to Hobbes, when people were in a state of nature (which means without government), they were naturally evil and needed a strong ruler to tell them what to do. In this way, the ruler is like a giant monster that controls all aspects of society.  Hobbes was also the first person to come up with social contract theory. According to this theory, people agree to give up certain rights in exchange for things like law and order. In Hobbes’ social contract, people should give up most of their rights in order to have peace and security. According to Hobbes, providing law and order was more important than an individual’s rights.

According to Locke, humans are naturally good, tolerant, and reasonable. He believed that in a state of nature, people made logical choices that would result in good. As a result, Locke thought the best form of government was one formed by the people and run by the people. Locke argued that all government should get its power from the consent (permission) of the governed. Locke also said that people were born totally free with three natural rights. These rights were "life, liberty, and property."   Protecting life meant that it was natural for someone to act in self-defense. Protecting your property meant that it was ok to protect your possessions Protecting your liberty meant that you made sure other people didn't have power over your thoughts or your actions Locke also believed in social contract theory, which says that we agree to give up some liberty in order to resolve conflicts and protect life and property. In other words, we enter into a contract with those in power. They have to agree to protect us, and in return, we agree to give up some rights. Unlike Hobbes, Locke said that if a government took away too many rights, then people had a right to get rid of that government.